THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO (GILMORE), THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO (BAUER) AND VIRGINIA TECH (SRINIVASAN). THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ELUCIDATE THE FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS OF THE SEEDING OF MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC (MHD) INSTABILITIES IN OHMICALLY EXPLODED WIRES. OBJECTIVES CRITICAL TO THIS OVERALL GOAL ARE: 1. UNDERSTAND THE SEEDING, FORMATION, AND EVOLUTION OF ETI IN A THICK-WIRE REGIME IN THE SOLID, LIQUID, VAPOR, AND PLASMA PHASES. 2. UNDERSTAND THE SEEDING OF LATE-TIME MHD INSTABILITIES VIA EARLY-TIME ETI. 3. UNDERSTAND HOW INHERENTLY 2D AND 3D ENGINEERED DEFECTS, IN ISOLATION AND IN COMBINATION, AFFECT THE SEEDING OF LATE-TIME MHD INSTABILITIES. 4. UNDERSTAND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AZIMUTHAL CORRELATION IN INSTABILITIES AND HOW THE INITIAL 2D AND 3D SURFACE CONDITIONS INFLUENCE THIS DEVELOPMENT. 5. THROUGH NUMERICAL EFFORT, DEEPEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF METAL DRIVEN BY INTENSE CURRENT AND OF THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS MODELING ASSUMPTIONS.